STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION - FOREIGN FOES

POCKET BOOKS

Written by Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur

Copyright 1994 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.



In Foreign Foes, written by Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is mediating a peace treaty between two hostile races - the Klingons and the Hidran race. Things get deadly when the Hidran ambassador dies and kills a Klingon delegate in revenge as he does so.

It was sad for me to see Worf being charged with the murder of the Hidran ambassador. Although under accusation for murder, Worf acted very dignified under the circumstances which I appreciated. Having the civilian doctor in charge of the colony that the negotiations are being held, holding sway over the crew of the Enterprise is frustrating.  I was also very upset that Data was acting differently. I felt, while reading this, that the writers were taking umbrage with his character initially. Even though Data's actions was eventually explained, it was very frustrating to read about what Data was doing in his paranoia of the Klingons - thus jeopardizing the Federation/Klingon alliance as Data takes the U.S.S. Enterprise into Klingon space. While the Klingons were traditionally arrogant against everybody, they were true allies with the Federation when the Klingons finally team up with Picard.

I am not crazy about the cover being white. The white cover makes me think the story is much brighter than the story really is. I was getting schizophrenic about the tone of the story while I was reading it. If the cover was dark, I would have been in the proper mood for the story.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - THE LOST ERA- SERPENTS AMONG THE RUINS

POCKET BOOKS

Written by David R. George III

Copyright 2003 by Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.



In Serpents Among the Ruins, the legendary Tomad Incident - in which thousands were killed - is finally told. Flight tests conducted for a prototype starship, the U.S.S. Universe with it's new engines, ends tragically in disaster close to the border space of the Romulan Star Empire. When the news of the observed disaster reaches the Romulans, the Romulans believe that the Federation is developing weapons of mass destruction to be used against them. As a military buildup ensues on all sides, which includes the Klingons - who want to regain the glory of their Empire - Captain John Harriman of the U.S.S. Enterprise confronts an old Romulan enemy aboard the Romulan flagship Tomad.

This is an older John Harriman of the Enterprise than the one who was shown in the movie Star Trek: Generations.  Harriman is not the insecure bumbler that he was in the movie, but a mature experienced individual who is quite at home on the Enterprise B  - and is also an almost burned-out Captain approaching the end of his career. The diplomats deal with the tense strategic negotiations between the three major powers in order to prevent another Federation/Romulan war and having the Klingons fighting for peace. Harriman, in what is basically his final mission, is sent on a classified mission by Starfleet Special Operations - which includes a young Elias Vaughn. Harriman and Vaughn are snuck aboard the Romulan Flagship Tomad, commanded by Harriman's old enemy Admiral Aventeer Vokar, deep in Romulan space - while Harriman leaves Demora Sulu in command of the Enterprise as they rotate the personal in the outposts monitoring the Romulan Neutral Zone. Vokar's desire for vengeance against his old enemy Harriman makes Harrison's mission extremely dangerous as they perform sabatouge on Vokar's ship Tomad. This mission is also sad as Harriman must undertake the mission while his father Admiral Harriman was critically injured during the U.S.S. Universe disaster. You wish that Harriman and his father the Admiral would reconcile with each other after the Admiral's injury as Admiral Harriman has been disappointed with him ever since the events of Star Trek: Generations and the book Star Trek - The Captain's Daughter. It is also sad when Vaughn is forced to kill for the first time.

This book is basically the flash point where several parts of the Star Trek universe changes after the events in the book, at least in the Star Trek literature.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - AVENGER

POCKET BOOKS

WILLIAM SHATNER with Judith Reeves-Stevens & Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Copyright 1997 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

In Avenger, a deadly virus is endangering the Federation. James T. Kirk, long believed dead, leaves his home and goes on a quest in Federation space to find a cure. Meanwhile, Spock must deal with his father's mysterious death.

With Kirk and Spock on the scene, it was inevitable that they would eventually find each other - along with new associates similar to their old crew. Working together, Kirk and Spock seek to fight against common old foes. And being in the 24th century, they would eventually meet up with Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, also looking for the cure to the virus. Spock becomes more emotional after his father Sarek's death. While there is a logical explanation for this, it is quite disconcerting to see our beloved Spock act in this manner. Although on the same side, Kirk and Picard have different agendas and go into conflict with each other. Vulcan officials are not exactly crazy about Kirk and his actions either.

While it is nice to see Sarek earlier in his career during the flashbacks, it also shows that there is more to Sarek than you ever suspected. You also see a young Kirk struggling to survive while he was at Tarsus IV - which also suffered from an exotic fungus.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - DESTINY - BOOK II: MERE MORTALS

Pocket Books

Written by David Mack

Based upon STAR TREK and

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
created by Gene Roddenberry

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE created by Rick Berman & Michael Piller

STAR TREK: VOYAGER
created by Rick Berman * Michael Piller & Jeri Taylor

STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE
created by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga

Copyright 2008 by CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In Mere Mortals, the Borg are coming to Federation space and Federation President Nan Bacco gathers allies to stop the Borg invasion. Meanwhile, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain Ezri Dax are determined to try to close off the Borg's route of subspace tunnels. On the other side of the galaxy, Captain William Riker in his explorations has made contact with the Caeliar who has held captive Earth starship Captain Erika Hernandez for 200 years.

You feel for President Bacco as she realizes that the Federation's only hope against Borg assimilation and annihilation is an alliance with governments and people that were hostile to the Federation and  also her realization that she will be the last President as the Federation gets destroyed. She is just a person in charge that everything has fallen onto her. Bacco's strategic negotiations are a desperate action for the preservation of the Alpha Quadrant. My respect for Captain Hernandez has fallen considerably from her being the captain of one of Earth's first starships to being the sole survivor of her crew, despite the fact that she has evolved into part Caeliar and has been able to live so long. In fact you feel that she deserves the pergatory that she has been placed into, especially when Riker and the crew of the U.S.S Titan are captured by the Caeliar with her. The Titan's crew plan an escape strategy, but can not trust Hernandez as a result. With Counselor Deanna Troi pregnant, you also feel her peranoia against the reptillian Titan's ship's doctor - Dr. Ree as her pregnancy endangers her health.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.